11/30/2017 - Layoni and Dabassa arrived at the stockades early this morning and after the supplement feeding was over they joined the stockade dependant orphan elephants in some games around the stockade compound. Layoni and Dabassa joined forces to challenge Panda in a wrestling match.

When it was time to head to the browsing fields Panda tried to catch up with Tahri to spend some time with her but was prevented from doing so but the two boys who wanted to engage her in strength testing and pushing games. Araba became a little jealous of the new comer and kept pushing her away. Mudanda and Ndii came to the rescue and kept Tahri close to them. Panda kept trying to get close to Tahri as well so that they could all browse together.

The orphan elephants visited the baobab water hole where Ndii left Araba to her own devices while she enjoyed a mud bath and scratching session with Tahri. The afternoons browsing activities took place at the baobab water hole before ending at the big water hole.

A lone Elephant Calf of approximately 2 years old had first been seen by the Community of Mgeno Ranch (abutting Tsavo National Park) on the l8th July 2012. The Trustís Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was alerted and our Voi Keepers immediately went to the site to try and rescue the calf. Darkness fell without them being able to locate the baby, and so they returned back to Voi empty handed. They did leave instructions with the Ranch staff to contact them immediately should they sight the calf again. On the 20th July the calf reappeared, still alone and emaciated and quite obviously an orphan, extremely lucky to have not fallen prey to predators. She is most certainly a poaching victim as incidents of poaching within the adjacent ranches to Tsavo National Park have been very bad in recent months. The Trustís Voi Rescue Team along with KWS were alerted a second time. The calf, a female of about 2 years old, very thin and weak and almost in a state of collapse by the time the rescuers arrived was literally on her last legs by the time they arrived. Upon arrival at the Voi Stockades to was helped to her feet and she took rehydration and later milk. She was given the name Panda to identify the specific place from whence she was rescued, a raised region of the Ranch known by that name. It was decided that Panda would remain at Voi and be raised there due to her age, and not be flown to the Nairobi Nursery. Instead she is to be raised in Voi amidst the Voi older orphans, who already have imparted much love and comfort. For Panda the Voi area remains familiar, not too far from where she was living a wild life, and she is once again united by a loving elephant family, to Voi Orphans who understand what she has been through and who will look to heal her emotional scars. With each passing day she grows stronger.

Soon after her arrival at the Voi stockades, there was another Elephant Rescue called for, also from Tsavo, of a yearling calf subsequently named Bomani so on this day our Voi Keepers certainly had their hands full. Credit to them for doing a wonderful job, and to all those whose actions helped save these two precious lives.